A heartbeat later a single pair of orange eyes rose from the darkened depths. Dim at first, then in full brightness of attention they moved up from the floor then glided toward here, drawing closer...

Loneliness struck again, its force doubled by how much she wished it was her family there instead. Then oddly enough, she met the boy’s stare and that feeling came again, that this was her family.

Dirck’s thoughts wandered to Creena. It was a good thing she wasn’t there or she’d die, too. He shuddered to think of how she’d feel when she got back and everyone was dead. He’d never...